Jing Jai Market Chiang Mai-turer

We had a group size of 8 with people from 3 different countries! Our guide shared some history of Chiang Mai and of the 2 temples we were visiting. Duration was just right and thankful for the transportation to and from hotel!

Mer enn bare en soloppgangstur, denne halvdagen var virkelig meningsfull, og guiden vår James var høydepunktet! Vi startet med å kjøpe mat for å gi dana (almisser) ved Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, forbi statuen av munkene som samlet inn penger til å bygge fjellveien. James har tidligere vært munk, så han forklarte Buddhas historie, tempelmaleriene og betydningen av søyletakene. Soloppgangen var fantastisk, med hele byen under oss mens James delte historien til hvert tempel. Wat Pha Lat er en fredelig, skjult skatt. Gjennom sine kontakter med munkene ga James oss ekte innsikt i klosterlivet og betydningen bak nagaene, tigrene og gudene. Vår favoritt var Wat Umong. Vi prøvde lokale instrumenter og drinker på et lite arrangement og utforsket meditasjonstunnelene som en konge bygde for en æret munk (med søte flaggermus på innsiden!). Det føltes som å besøke historiske Lanna-templer med en faktisk munk ved din side. Anbefales på det sterkeste, og James er den beste guiden!

The trip was well organized. Songthaew for pick-up, guided tour, it has an actual tour guide who knows the best spots and history of the historical Lanna Kingdom leading to this Doi Suthep we now know.

Sjåføren var veldig hyggelig, og hele turen var pålitelig. Sticky Waterfall ligger i en skogspark i Nord-Thailand, og fossens steiner er gråhvite med et blåskjær, noe som er helt fantastisk! Vannet er kjølig, og mens du klatrer opp, får du en intim interaksjon med naturen!

I made good use of the free time in the evening for sightseeing. The duration was just right, not too long and not too short. It was very convenient that after the tour, I could be dropped off at a dinner location instead of being taken back to the hotel. The guide was also very kind and provided clear explanations, which was excellent.

This was the only tour available when I booked the day before, so I chose it. However, it turned out to be much better than I expected, and I'm glad I picked this one over other tours. The meeting time is very early, which makes the morning a bit challenging, but because of that, the temples and hiking trails were less crowded, allowing for a stress-free experience. Unfortunately, it was cloudy this time, so we couldn't see the sunrise. Our guide was also very thorough and made the experience enjoyable. I'm very grateful. We arrived back at the hotel before 9 AM, which meant we had the rest of the day to enjoy, making it very efficient. I highly recommend this tour.

En absolutt verdt å besøke foss. Siden jeg var den eneste passasjereren den dagen, føltes det som å ha en privatbil til fossen. Sjåføren var ekstremt hyggelig og hadde tatt med barnebarna sine på tur. Det føltes nesten som å være på utflukt ved fossen sammen med familien deres, noe som var veldig koselig. Timingene våre var perfekt; like etter at vi var ferdig ved fossen, begynte det å regne, noe som gjorde returen litt kjølig. Fullt fortjent med fem stjerner, varmt anbefalt.

Wat Pha Lat is the most serene jungle temple, the fact that the plants have been allowed to encroach on the structures only adds to the sense of gentle decay. Even though an overcast sky meant the usual glorious late afternoon light was absent, arriving at the temple as dusk approached only made it more atmospheric. The gilded stupa and umbrellas of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep were impressive from the outset, but it was only when dusk fell and the lights were turned on that it became evident why we were there at that particular time. Magical! The view over the city is spectacular as well, both before and after dark. Our guide Danny was personable, friendly and informative, and gave us time to wander at will, and our driver got us from place to place quickly and efficiently. Minor criticisms are that as a solo traveller, I needed to book and pay for two people; also it was not clear from the activity description that a hotel pickup was possible, rather than meeting at the tour office.

Halvdagsturen er bra, ikke for lang og ikke slitsom. Guiden, Mee, er fantastisk, profesjonell og snakker flytende både engelsk og mandarin. Henting på hotellet og fleksibel med å slippe oss av, et sted langs veien. Siste stopp, et tempel høyt oppe i et fjell, klatringen på 300 trappetrinn var god trening og ga en fantastisk utsikt over Chiang Mai by.